Crossroads
by Redemtion13
Summary: There comes a time in every relationship where it must evolve or simply fade away. It's a difficult process and one that Soul and Maka have been able to avoid for longer than most, but all relationships lead to this crossroad.
1. Chapter 1

Friendship is a funny thing.

Making friends had never really been a strong suit for Soul. He never went looking for them. Maka had come to him when he was off, purposely sulking away in the music room. Black*Star (and by extension Tsubaki) had practically screamed in his face the first day of class when Maka had introduced them, and even his friendship with Kid was a by-product of Black*Star's desires. It wasn't something he thought about often because it wasn't really important. Cool guys would attract cool people and so far he had done just that. This attitude also carried over to relationships. It seemed like something he would eventually just fall into. Yeah he had gotten some girls asking him out when he became a Deathscythe, but that wasn't actually sincere and he had a pretty good idea that a relationship shouldn't start with something so petty.

No, he was pretty sure eventually the right girl would just kind of bump into him. That was how all the guys did it in the movies and stuff. Love would come whenever.

Until then he was still one of the coolest kids at the academy, with a tight group of friends and without a doubt the best meister a scythe could ask for.

Really, he was content with where things were in his life. Which is probably why he never really thought about one simple thing.

What if Maka wasn't?

xXx

Chapter One.

"Black*Star wants to play basketball after class." Soul said, eyes dreary as he stared at the blackboard where Stein seemed to be discussing the best way to dissect something or another that he probably shouldn't be dissecting. Beside him Maka diligently took notes, her neat handwriting filling up page after page of carefully written notes, complete with uncharacteristically sloppy attempts at drawn diagrams. She never had been very good with art. Eyeing her work he waited for a lull in the lesson to receive an answer.

"I don't want to play."

Typical. "You won't get better if you don't practice."

"I don't have to get better if I don't play."

Soul couldn't think of a good reply to that so he simply waited a few minutes before asking, "So you want to wait up for me and I'll give you a ride home, or do you want me to drive you home first?"

Again he was forced to wait before Maka turned her head towards him, flashing a slight smile. "I'll just wait. I'm almost done with my new book. I can probably finish before you lose to Black*Star."

Soul scowled. "We're playing best of seven now. He hasn't won yet."

Maka didn't reply, only letting out a near silent giggle as Soul sulked slightly until the end of class. As the bell dinged and Stein finally stopped droning the pair stood up. Following his meister down the stairs and into the hall Soul almost managed to lose her in the crowd before her small hand slipped into his and pulled him free of the mass. Resting against the wall they waited for Black*Star to arrive, a few minutes late as usual, flanked by Tsubaki.

"Ready to lose?" The Blue haired meister challenged, eyes already alight with excitement.

"Bring it." Soul shot back, baring his shark teeth at his friend. Behind the pathetic banter the girls shot each other pained looks as the two boys brought their heads closer together, the trash talking continued to grow more and more cliché.

"You coming Maka?" Tsubaki asked as Soul and Black*Star began to move down the hallway.

She shook her head, pigtails wiggling back and forth as she pulled a rather thick book from her bag. "I'm going to go upstairs and read."

"Oh, why don't you just come to the court then?" Tsubaki asked, but before Maka could answer they were interrupted.

"Hey! Are you two coming or what?" Black*Star yelled back, turning away from Soul for a moment. "I've got mortals to squash already!"

"Ah." Tsubaki said, putting a hand against her forehead. "Never mind, I think I understand."

Maka smiled feebly. "Yeah, just a little bit too loud for me."

Nodding Tsubaki let out a small sigh before putting on her usual smile and followed after the two boys. Maka watched them go for a moment before heading towards the stairs. The academy was emptying out quickly and with each flight she ascended she found fewer and fewer students until finally she was all but alone.

Most people found the academy to be a bit unnerving when it was empty but Maka found it rather relaxing. She was a Death Child, born and raised in death city and she had spent nearly as much time in the school as she had at work. Sometimes spending time with her mother, other times sitting in on her dad's class, but most of the time she spent simply traveling around the campus. Over the years she had found all the great spots to hide away from the world and curl up with a nice book, but while all the spots were good, only one was great. Luckily, as far as she knew, no one else really knew about it.

It was a small little balcony that Maka had found on accident one day years ago while walking through the maze of hallways and doors that made up the upper levels of the school. It wasn't overly fancy, just a single potted plant of hanging death ivy that had seemingly been planted then forgotten. It was a perfect little spot to stare out over the city, situated perfectly to get enough sun to stay comfortable but never hot, and underneath enough of the roof to protect against rain. She had once considered dragging a chair up there, but had decided against it after climbing up on the thick mason railing and falling in love with the precarious position.

Mind already slipping into a relaxed state as she reached her destination Maka pushed open the door and nearly slammed it back shut again. Resisting the urge she simply stood and stared at the figure that was currently intruding in _her_ personal space and even worse sitting in _her_ spot. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes longer before realizing _theintruder_ had yet to take notice of her, still staring intently down at the book they carried, one leg dangling lazily over the ledge and the other stretched out along the balcony. Maka felt a sudden rush of awkward embarrassment as she continued to go unnoticed. It felt like too much time had passed to even make a noise now. She briefly considered turning back and going to one of the other decent spots but… this was her spot damn it! Her favorite spot. She wasn't going to let it go without a fight.

"Ahem"

The slight clearing of her throat was finally enough to draw the mysterious reader's attention with a flinch. Teetering back and forth in the dangerous position he had been lying in, the boy dropped his book onto the balcony where it landed haphazardly before he was finally able to regain his composure. He quickly rolled off the ledge and landed awkwardly on his feet.

"Oh, hello." He said lamely as he dropped down to one knee to retrieve his book, carefully bending back the newly creased pages. Finishing his task he looked up at Maka, steely eyes giving her a curious look. Realizing she was glaring at him Maka took a mental step back and forced her face to remain neutral, though she was still slightly annoyed at _theintruder_, as she had come to think of him in her mind.

"Hi." Maka started as _the intruder_ finally stood up to his full height. He stood a few good inches taller than her. There was a moment of silence before she waved out her arm towards the ledge. "Sorry about that."

He shook his head, running a hand nervously through his dark hair. "It's uh, it's okay. I just didn't expect anyone else to be up here. No one ever seems to come up here." His eyes flicked down to her book. "I guess you had the same idea, it's all yours." He nodded his head and gingerly slipped passed her.

Maka hadn't expected this. Suddenly she felt like she was the intruder, not this polite young man. Turning around she called out to him. "Wait, you were here first."

He paused, looking over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I was going to leave soon anyways, so…" he shrugged his shoulders before tipping his head in goodbye and continuing down the hallway and towards the stairs. As the door swung shut behind him, Maka finally looked away and took her place on the balcony, dangling one leg off the edge just like he had been. Letting out a sigh she looked out over Death City, taking in the fresh air and gentle city sounds. She felt a slight twinge of regret for interrupting another book lover's reading time, knowing full well how much she loathed that same feeling. Truth be told there was probably enough room for the both of them up there, but he was already gone and she had no idea who he was. Taking in a deep breath she let the thoughts flow out of her before she leaned her back against the stone wall and brought her large book up to rest on her lap.

xXx

"Lost again?" Maka asked teasingly as Soul stormed towards his motorcycle, straddling the seat and revving the engine loudly to vent his frustration. Getting on behind him Maka wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. "If it makes you feel better, you guys played longer than usual. I was actually able to finish my book and start another one."

"Ah shuddup." Soul grumped as he pulled the motorcycle on the road a bit faster than necessary, enjoying the satisfying feeling of Maka's arms tightening around his waist in response. "I'll get him next time."

"Mmmm, I'm sure." Maka said over the roar of the bike. "Also, it's your turn to make dinner tonight."

Soul let out a groan before falling into a sullen silence that lasted until they made it back to the apartment. Hopping off the bike Maka waited patiently for her lethargic weapon to follow after her. Reaching the door Soul pushed inside and slouched towards the bathroom for a much desired shower. "How about pizza?"

Maka worked her way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with juice from the fridge, "We had pizza two days ago." She heard the water turn on as Soul returned to the kitchen, shirt gone and a towel hanging loosely over one shoulder as he undid his belt.

"How about Chinese?"

"You ordered that four times last week." Maka made a face. "And you don't even order from the good place."

"Then what do you want princess?" Soul asked, finally removing the belt and tossing it towards his room as he entered the now steaming bathroom, unfastening his pants as he went

"I want you to cook!" Maka called back.

"Ah fine!" Soul yelled back as he shut the door and entered the shower. Few almost ten minutes there was silence in the house until the shower was shut off and the door opened again and a towel clad Soul exited the bathroom, still dripping small amounts of water onto the floor. He jabbed a damp finger towards Maka, "But you gotta clean."

Maka rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Whatever, just go put some clothes on and stop stalling."

Soul bared his shark teeth at her before heading off to his room to change, kicking his belt as he went. Maka shook her head, smiling at her weapon's pouty attitude.

Some things never changed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Maka tapped her pencil impatiently against the desk. To her right Kid sat freakishly still, his eyes staring at the blank chalkboard as though he were deep in thought. To her left should have sat Black*Star, but the energetic meister had failed to show up for class yet.

Not that it mattered.

Stein, who was supposed to be filling in for Sid, had yet to arrive and a replacement had failed to take his place. Despite the fact Maka was sure that she was more than prepared for the material that was supposed to be covered in today's lecture, it was still annoying to be forced to wait. Stopping her pencil's movement she looked towards the classroom Soul was in. Taking in a deep breath she brought up her soul perception, fighting through the distractions of the hundreds of other students to find the unique soul that was her Soul Eater's soul. It took a few minutes, but finally she was able to locate it.

Snap

Heads turned as the pencil between her fingers snapped in half and she grit her teeth. She was going to kill him. That idiot was sleeping through his advanced weapon training class. Taking in a deep breath and putting down the broken pencil she focused for a moment before sending a quick jab through their faint resonance link. Almost instantly she felt a groggy retort, and while no actual words were exchanged, Maka was able to garner the gist of what Soul meant.

'_What do you want?'_

'_Are you sleeping?'_

'_. . .no'_

'_Soul…'_

'_Ah leave me alone damnit.'_

Maka sent him another little jab, but relented after feeling his soul perk up for a moment before relaxing back down to lethargic apathy. While it wasn't ideal, it was his normal state while inside of a classroom so she would simply have to let it go. Shaking her head and returning to the real world she turned her head to Kid who was still sitting completely still.

"I do not believe anyone is coming." He said without turning his head towards her. "I've been trying to remember something father told me. I finally did."

"Oh?" Maka said.

"Yes." Kid finally turned towards her. "Father informed me Sid's mission had grown rather difficult and as a result he would be sending Stein and Marie as reinforcements."

"So no one is coming?" Maka said.

"I would expect not." Kid replied, standing up and picking up his textbook. "Now if you will please excuse me, I will have to discuss this matter with father. He has a very bad memory when it comes to assigning substitutes. I will see you tomorrow."

Maka watched him go before letting out a sigh and picking up her own book. Placing it carefully in her backpack she followed his lead and exited the classroom, drawing some stares from other confused students, some of whom also began to pack up. Going out into the hallway Maka glanced at the clock and frowned. She still had a lot of time before Soul would be getting out of class. He was going to be so jealous she had gotten a free period while he was stuck in class with her father. The thought was enough to turn her frown into a smile because while admittedly Spirit was a talented Scythe, a gifted teacher he was not.

Pushing her pack into a more comfortable position, she started off towards the staircase before stopping just as she reached the first step. What if _the intruder_ was on her spot again? While the chance was slight, it was still there. And truth be told she still felt a small pang of guilt for kicking the boy out yesterday. He had looked so flustered for a moment, like a lost puppy. Pulling her foot back she changed her direction, heading to the library. While the little corner in the library did not have the warm sunlight and fresh air of the balcony, it did have the musty smell of books and the quiet sounds of shuffling pages, and that was almost as good.

Entering the surprisingly busy library she quickly shuffled towards the hidden-away corner that was ringed in by a section of restricted books. While the area itself was not off-limits, the bars and stern warning signs that hung over the bookshelves were enough to scare most of the other kids off. As she walked by the books she let her eyes linger on them. She had managed to sneak a few of them away from her father when she had been younger and he had been using them for

"Official Death Scythe Business" as Spirit had put it. They were confusing and more often than not a little scary. Some were filled with ancient curses and forbidden magics while others gave information you wanted, and some you did not…

Maka shuddered, pulling her eyes away and stepping forward into the small reading area only to find someone already sitting there in one of the two seats, a pen between his teeth as he diligently read line after line of text.

Maka nearly cursed.

Catching the noise in her throat she stepped forward and dropped her bag down on the floor with a plop. Steely eyes jumped up at her before relaxing slightly. "Hello."

"Hi." Maka said stiffly, sitting down across from him. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Maka finally decided to break the silence. "I guess you aren't stealing my balcony today."

He smiled slightly at that. "I considered it, but I thought that might be your spot or something and you'd be up there already."

Maka let out a sigh, resting her face against her hand. "I thought you were going to be up there."

"Maybe we should make a schedule." He said, a slight laugh to his voice. "I'll take them during the week and you get them on the weekends."

Maka had to softly laugh at that which drew a slight chuckle from him as well. He seemed to laugh easily. Looking down at the book she tilted her head slightly, trying to make out the title. Following her gaze he gave her a rueful smile before pushing the book out towards her. She caught it just before it slid off the table and flipped to the cover.

"Remedial Weapon Transformation?" she said, glancing up at him.

"Mhmmm." He said lamely, pulling it back with his right hand and drumming his fingers along the leather bound cover.

"You're a weapon?" Maka cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah, and you're Scythe Meister Maka." His fingers stopped moving and his hands came up and he waved them back and forth quickly. "I'm sorry that must have sounded really creepy. You're just really popular around here. I don't think there is anyone in the NOT class who doesn't know about you, and Soul too." He stopped babbling for a moment and clicked his tongue. "Yeah that probably didn't make me seem any less creepy did it?"

Maka waved him off. Since making Soul into a Death Scythe things had been a little hectic. "It's okay, I understand. So you're in the NOT class?"

"One of them." He nodded, beginning to tap his fingers against the book's cover.

"And you're a weapon?" Maka pressed.

"Glaive." He said, hand coming to a stop. Lifting it up he held it out towards her. "My name is Cross by the way."

Maka accepted his much larger hand around hers. Through the physical link she could feel the faint outline of his soul. It was steady, but not particularly strong.

"Maka Albarn." She said. "Though I guess you knew that already."

Cross nodded. "So what are you doing here? I thought the EAT and NOT classes were staggered?" Maka rolled her eyes and quickly explained the situation. Cross gave a thoughtful look. "So they just cancel your classes if the teacher doesn't show up?"

"Pretty much" Maka sighed, pulling out a few of her books. "I figured I'd read or study until Soul got out and we can go home."

"Ah that must be nice." Cross said before cocking his head to the side. "Uh oh."

"What?" Maka asked before one of the librarian assistants popped their head around the corner.

"Cross, you better get going. You're going to be late for your lesson again." She said flatly before nodding her head and disappearing again.

Maka turned her head to Cross who let out a sigh and pushed his book back into his bag. "I thought this was your class time?"

"It is, but I've got a few extra lessons I've got to take." He shrugged before giving her a smile. "Enjoy the free period, Maka. I hope I see you again soon."

"Me too." Maka said, returning the smile. "Bye Cross."

He tipped his head and quickly walked off, tossing his bag over his shoulder. Left alone, Maka dropped her eyes down to her books. To her left was the lesson book, and while she had read it already, it never hurt to touch up. To the right was her newest book, some kind of romance novel that, while often not her style, was proving to be rather interesting. Weighing the options back and forth in her mind she finally settled on the novel. Settling more comfortably into the chair she was just starting to really delve deep into the plot when someone tugged lightly on her pigtail.

"Argh, Soul!" Maka snapped, slapping his hands away. She looked up at her scowling weapon. "Class over already?"

"It's been over for a while." Soul grumbled. "I've been looking for you."

"How did you find me?" Maka said, starting to pack up her books.

"Waited in the hallway for a while." Soul said as Maka stood up, he lightly placed his hand against the small of her back to lead her out ahead of him. "Realized no one was coming out of your class after a few minutes."

"So…?"

"Was able to find your soul." Soul said, tapping his chest. "It's hard to hear most of the time but since you turned me into a death scythe." He shrugged. "I dunno, it's easier now."

Maka smiled. "I guess that means our resonance is really strong. I've read about weapons being able to do that, and Papa said he used to be able to do that with Mama."

Soul made a face. "Don't make me think about your father. He was bugging me all class."

Maka rolled her eyes. "Well you were _sleeping_."

"Yeah, thanks for waking me up." Soul said, voice thick with sarcasm. "But really, I don't know what your old man's problem is. He barely even taught us anything today, just said a whole bunch of stuff about partners and trust."

"Yeah, because he's one to talk." Maka said under her breath. Catching the soft words Soul relented and went silent until they were on the bike and well on their way home.

"Dinner."

"What?" Maka said over the sound of the bike. She was forced to wait for her answer until Soul pulled into the apartment complex parking lot. Jumping off the bike she looked up at him expectantly. He ran a hand through his wind mussed hair.

"I said dinner, it's your turn."

Maka stared at him for a moment before smirking and turning towards their apartment. "Fine, I'm getting Chinese."

"Really woman?" Soul asked incredulously. "After all the grief you gave me last night."

Maka got to the door and pushed it open, calling over her shoulder. "And I'm getting it from the good place!"

Soul shook his head but smiled as he followed his meister into the apartment. Heading straight to the couch he flopped down, dropping his book bag haphazardly to the floor. Behind him he heard Maka order the food before walking towards him, her small feet padding along the floor.

"Ugh. Really Soul?"

"What?" he whined, turning his head up at her as she walked around the couch and picked up the books that had fallen out of his bag. Placing them neatly on the table she looked down at the cover.

"Hey Soul?"

"Mmmm?" he asked, kicking his shoes off and stretching out along the couch.

"How long ago were you reading the Remedial Weapon Transformation?" she said, looking down at his advanced version.

Soul thought for a moment. "I dunno. I don't think I ever actually read it."

"What?" Maka said, voice flat.

"I never read any of them." Soul yawned. "I figured most of it out on my own when I was little with my brother. I don't even know how that book can be that heavy. How many ways can you really say 'transform'?"

As he rolled over and grabbed the remote Maka glanced down at the book thoughtfully.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three.

It had been a week. A week Maka had not been able to slip away from the hustle and bustle of school to get in some much-needed reading time. A week filled with what seemed like endless missions that had left both her and Soul with a fair share of bruises and scrapes. While that was nothing out of the norm, it was slightly annoying, even more so considering one of the kishin eggs had managed to land a rather vicious blow to her face, which had left a long cut. Upon seeing the damage, her father had been annoyingly dramatic and fussed over her, and the situation had not been improved by Stein offering to 'sew her up' as he so often did.

But that was all behind her and now she was on her way up to the balcony, a thick tome cradled under her arm. Bounding up the last few steps she reached the door and paused. Staring at the old wooden door she took a moment to wonder if she would be alone, or if he would be there. Subconsciously she reached up and touched the jagged cut that marred her cheek, frowning. It was an ugly mark, and one she was not particularly proud of. Unlike Soul and Black*Star, she didn't find having scars and bruises and injuries to be cool, she found it rather unseemly. Dropping her hand she gave her head a gentle shake. She was being silly. It didn't matter what she looked like, especially right now. This was her time and she didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her… even so, she did take a quick moment to adjust her tie and even out the hem of her skirt before pushing the door open.

This balcony was blissfully empty. Maka felt a slight tug of disappointment in her stomach for a moment before shoving the feeling aside and moving up to the railing. Carefully placing her book down she leaned over and stared down at the ground. Below her she could just make out people milling around. Letting herself get lost in her thoughts for a moment she didn't notice the gentle creak of the door behind her.

"Hello?"

Jumping slightly she spun around, pigtails whipping in the air. For a moment she held a glare for the interruption before dropping it as the smiling face of Cross came into view.

He dipped his head. "Sorry if I scared you."

"That's okay." Maka said, leaning against the railing and smiling. "You are supposed to get this place during the week, so I guess it's my fault."

"Ah." Cross tapped himself on the forehead. "I meant to call you so we could change up that arrangement a little bit."

Maka raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember giving you my number."

Cross nodded. "That would probably be why it was so hard to call you."

Maka let out a soft laugh as she rolled her eyes and turned back towards the city. "I guess I'll have to give it to you."

Cross moved up next to her and rested against the stone. "That would be nice."

Maka was silent for a moment before asking. "So what have you been up to while I've been gone? Reading a lot?"

Cross made a face. "I wish. I actually haven't been able to sneak away much lately. My extra lessons are becoming more… frequent."

"What are the extra lessons for?"

Cross let out a heavy sigh, slouching over the railing and letting his hands dangle before he mumbled something unintelligible.

"I'm sorry?" Maka said

Cross groaned. "It's embarrassing."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Maka rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I almost got kicked out one year because I accidentally fed Soul a Cat's soul instead of a Witch's"

Cross let out a bark of laughter. "Really?"

"It was terrible." Maka said, cringing. "We were so weak back then, Soul and I. I don't know how we were able to get ninety-nine souls in the first place."

Cross' eyes widened. "Wait, but that means…" he took a moment to count. "You've collected two hundred souls?"

Maka shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it does."

Cross stared at her for another moment before covering his eyes with his hand. "Oh man, now I really don't want to tell you."

"That's not fair." Maka said, nudging him with her shoulder. "I just told you a really embarrassing story to make you feel better."

"That story just makes you even cooler through!" Cross shot back, sinking lower. "Promise you won't laugh."

Maka nodded. "I promise."

Cross sighed as he twisted his mouth one way then the other. Closing his eyes he took in a deep breath before mumbling out, "I'm kind of in a remedial class because… I can't exactly control my transformation."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Cross said lamely.

"So what's the problem?" Maka said, bouncing up onto the railing and letting her legs dangle off the edge.

Cross stayed in his miserable, hunched over position. "I can normally transform between my weapon and human form pretty well for the most part. But every now and then, when I get nervous, I can't transform back out."

Maka nodded, thinking. "So you're trapped in your weapon form."

"More or less." Cross shrugged. "I'm not exactly allowed to have a partner until I can figure that out, and I don't really think the whole 'going it alone' path would work for me." Maka frowned. Not many students went without a partner, and those that did had a very low success rate. Even in the NOT class. Seeing the frown Cross quickly waved his hand. "It's alright though, I'm working with a lot of the teachers here and it's getting easier to control. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be finished."

"Which teachers?" Maka said slowly, thoughts flashing to a particular screw-headed professor.

"A lot of stuff I do is with Sid and sometimes Nygus, Miss Marie has run a few of them and one time," Cross shuddered. "Stein. That one didn't go very well. Once I was in weapon form I didn't exactly want to come back out."

Maka nodded sympathetically. "Well, at least he's not your normal professor."

Cross let out a breath of laughter. "There is that, I suppose."

"So once you get control, are you going to continue on?" Maka said after a moment of silence.

"I'm not sure. I don't even have a meister right now, so even if I wanted to try and make it to the EAT class I couldn't. I don't really have a plan yet." He ran a hand through his hair before smiling. "Sorry for sounding so dramatic."

Maka shook her head. "Don't worry, you don't. I know it's hard finding a partner. Someone who you are expected to trust with your life, and someone who trusts theirs to you. It can be scary."

"I have a hard time believing anything could scare you."

"I get scared a lot." Maka said softly, images playing behind her eyes as she kicked her feet back and forth. The ugly, coppery smell of blood, invading her nostrils. Soul falling over in front of her. Thick drops of blood dripping from the smiling blade of Ragnarok.

She shook her head roughly. "But that's why I train to get stronger. So I don't have to be so afraid, and then my friends don't either."

"Man." Cross sighed as he hoisted himself up on the ledge next to her.

"What?" Maka turned her head to look at him. When he didn't answer she gave him a gentle nudge.

"You're just amazing." He said, laughing slightly as he stared out over the city. "Honestly, you are."

Maka looked down, unable to come up with an answer. Though she did feel her cheeks begin to heat up as they sat in silence, feet knocking in a tempo-less rhythm against the railing.

xXx

"You're home late." Soul called as Maka pushed into the apartment, the smell of burning fish instantly reaching her. Waving a hand in front of her face to clear the air she approached the kitchen where Blair was blissfully amused watching an aproned Soul attempt to finish dinner. To his right a pot of rice was boiling over, while directly in front of him 2 pans smoked. One seemed to contain some kind of veggies, though it had long ago turned into a black piece of charcoal, and the other contained filets of fish that were well on their way too. Nudging the helpless boy out of the way with her hip, Maka quickly controlled the situation, reducing the heat on the rice and expertly flipping over the fish.

Not needing to be told, Soul began to get out plates, watching quietly as Maka easily served up the fish with a side of rice. Though, with a slight role of her eyes, she did not add in the blackened vegetable that she would later learn was actually broccoli.

"Well." Soul grumbled as he sat down, "This still counts as me cooking."

Maka smiled. "Fair enough. Sorry I was late."

"Get caught up reading, bookworm?" he teased as he took in a few massive bites of his meal, shark teeth chomping happily.

"I was talking to a friend. I lost track of time." Maka said before asking, "Soul, have you ever had trouble with your weapon form?"

"What?"

"Your weapon form, have you ever had…" Maka shrugged her shoulders. "Issues?"

"Oh." Soul said, shaking his head slightly. "Uh, no not really. It's pretty easy for me. Like riding a bike or whatever. Once I did it, I could just do it again and again."

"Hmmm."

"Why?" Soul asked, leaning forward. "Have my transformations been weird lately or something?

"Oh no, it's not like that!" Maka waved her hands as Soul's voice rose with concern. "I just heard it can be hard."

Soul calmed down slightly, though he still eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah, some people do have a bit of trouble with it, but most of it passes. It's a pretty natural thing for us. Partial transformations can be tricky though."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Soul held out his arm. With a flash of light a scythe blade erupted from under his elbow, then from his fist, before finally his whole arm became a blade. "Figuring out exactly where you want the blade to come out of can be hard. Even when I go full transformation I can decide if I want to form right-side up or upside down. That way, no matter how you catch me, I won't cut you."

Maka grinned. "Oh really? So that's why I've never gotten cut."

"No doubt." Soul leaned back cockily. "Doesn't matter how much skill you got, a meister can't handle me unless I let them. And no one but you is cool enough to be my meister."

Maka smiled. "Thank you Soul."

He waved his hand. "Don't worry about it, now if you will excuse me." He slid out of his chair. "I believe I have a round of video games to kick Black*Star's ass in, and you have some dishes to do."

He was gone before Maka could reply. The sweetness of his words instantly gone as she scowled at the retreating shape of her lazy weapon.


End file.
